The Charge of the Light Brigade is a famous event that took place during the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimea in the mid-1800s. However, this region was the site of even more destructive fighting between Germany and Russia in WWII. Concord’s latest book presents in some detail this particular campaign in the 1941-42 timeframe.

The attacking German 11.Armee was commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein, and his goal was to overrun the Crimean Peninsular and take Rostov. The battle was joined on September 24 1941, with the capture of the naval fortress of Sevastapol on the southwestern tip of the peninsular set to be the ultimate prize. The Russian Black Sea Fleet defenders fought bitterly as they reinforced the defenses of Sevastapol and the Crimea. As the fighting wore on, Soviet troops launched counterattacks during the winter of 1941/42. A series of thrusts and counter-thrusts ensued, with Germany only able to clear the Crimea on May 18 1942. Manstein was able to set his sights on Sevastapol, with its defenses including pillboxes, gun emplacements, anti-tank ditches, minefields and wire entanglements. Although German units encircled the city and an 80cm “Gustav” railway gun and 60cm Mörser Karl bombarded the city, it took weeks of fighting before the second defensive line was breached during Operation Sturgeon Catch. The city was bombarded mercilessly until it finally fell on July 3.

This volume by Hans Seidler is brimming with black and white photographs that portray soldiers embroiled in this vicious fighting. The sharply reproduced photographs show mostly German personnel and their vehicles and weapons. Each photo is well captioned with pertinent details about uniform and equipment. The centerpiece of the book is four color plates by the talented illustrator Dmitriy Zgonnik. These pictures show German infantrymen in typical dress as they fought in the Crimea, with detailed explanation given about their equipment and dress. This informative volume will educate readers on an important campaign of WWII, providing a welcome reference for military history buffs.